William v



. (No Model) W V ESMOND PHOTOGRAPHIG DEVELOPING TRAY.

Patented July 27, 1897.

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avwewto'a 1X) amt WA UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM V. ESMOND, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE E. & H. T.ANTHONY 8: COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING-TRAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,962, dated July 271897.

Serial No. 636,257. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM V. EsMoNn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PhotographersDeveloping'lrays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in photographers developing-trays;and it consists in supplying the trays with detachablyattached meanswhereby photographic film in indefinite lengths and of any desired Widthmay be subjected to the action of the developing-bath without thenecessity of cutting the film into small pieces for individual pictures;and my invention overcomes the most annoying incident in the developmentof exposed films in long lengths, because, as is well kn own, owing toits nature it has a fashion of curling or twisting, so as to be at timesalmost unmanageable in the photographers developing-tray.

Referring to the drawings hereof, Figure 1 illustrates a plan view ofthe invention. Fig. 2 illustrates-a vertical sectional view 011 the line1 l of Fig. 1. The scales, however, of the two figures are different,because in Fig. 2 the parts are given a different adjustment from thatshown in Fig. 1.

A is a photographers ordinary developingtraiv, It may be made of anydesired materia B B are two clips, one attached at each end of the trayat its bottom. They are preferably small metallio pieces provided with anotch 0 upon one side, in which the tang of a tack or nail D, which isdriven into the photographefis bench or table the proper distance apart,may be received, so that the tray will be held immovably upon the table.Any other suitable devices for holding the trays may be substituted forthese clips.

E E are two rollers. They are bored centrally-from end to end, as shownat F, (see Fig. 2,) and in each end a metallic spindle G G enters,fitting somewhat snugly, yet with perfect freedom of rotation. Thespindles are embraced at or near their ends by the flattened end ofsprings H H. The spindles, being provided with heads I I, maintain theirengagement with the springs. The springs H II are or may be of the formshown in Fig. 2 and are preferably quite stifi, so that when adjustedupon the sides of the tray their resiliency will be such as to pinch theside of the tray quite hard and thus afford the necessary rigidity tomaintain the rollers E E in proper position, and an important feature ofthe invention is that the rollers are adapted to use with trays ofdifierent sizes that is to say, the axes upon which they turn. In otherwords, the spindles G G are adj usted relative to the rollers as shownin Fig. 2, in which a large tray is employed in conjunction with aroller intended primarily for a smaller one, all that is necessary beingto pull out the spindles G G endwise and attach the springs to the sidesof the large tray in the same manner that they are to the sides of theappropriate tray, as shown in Fig. 1, and the device works equally well,so that the photographer is not compelled to buy a set of these rollersof appropriate sizes to match his trays.

The operation is obvious. The end of the film is passed down under oneof the rollers, say that at the left-hand end in Fig. 1, thence throughthe bath and under the second roller, and thence upwardly and out of thetray, and in operation the film is moved from left to right, as desired,and is consequently completely submerged in the bath, the tray beingsufficiently full to cause the lower are, and preferably about the lowerhalf of the roller, to be submerged in it. Upon the completion of thedevelopment of the film the photographer can decant the bath, if hedesires, and in all ways treat the tray as though it had not theserollers attached to it, because they would be rigidly held in positionand no annoyance follow from their presence. If, however, he desires touse the tray for the development of plates or film which has been cutup, then it is a very simple matter to remove the rollers by merely.taking hold of the springs and pulling them upwardly and overcomingtheir grip upon the sides of the tray.

I am aware that submerging rollers and bars have been used invariouscoating and submerging processes, but never, so far as I know,has a submerging-roller been furnished with adjustable devices wherebyits rotation is assured, and yet it may be conveniently attached to anddetached from such a structure as a photographefs tray, the same beinglikewise adjustable, and consequently adapted to use with trays ofdifferent size.

It will be obvious to those who are familiar with this'art thatmodifications may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the essentials of the invention. I therefore do not limitmyself to the details as described and shown.

I clain1 1. A filin-subinerging device adapted to application tophotographers trays, comprising aroller journaled in two springs, one ateach end, which are constructed and arranged to be detachably attachedto the sides of the tray, and to be held thereon by reason of theirresiliency, for the purposes set forth.

A film-subinerging device adapted to be attached to a photographerstray, comprising two springs, spindles connected with the springs, and aroller bored axially for the reception of the said spindles, for thepurposes set forth.

3. In combination with a photographefls developing-tray, one or moresubinerging rollers or bars located 011 the interior of the tray andsupported at its ends upon removable supports, which are held to thesides of the tray by springs, for the purposes set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 10th day of May, A. D. 1807.

\VILLIAM V. ESMOND.

Witnesses:

E. SIMPSON, A. .13. MoRRIsoN.

